Theosophical Siftings

Aum

Vol 3, No 3

Aum
by Hadji-Erinn (M.S.T.) (likely William Q. Judge) translated by Th s. Williams! ".T.S.
Reprinted from Theosophical Siftings Volume 3 The Theosophical Publishing Society, ngland

A!" is the most sacred and mysterious syllable of the Vedas# $t is the first letter of the Sanscrit alphabet, and it is said to be the first sound produced by the breath of a ne%&born child# The daily prayers of the 'rahmins begin and end %ith this %ord( according to the sacred boo)s, it is the %ord %hich the gods themsel*es use %hen calling on the great !n)no%n +ne# $n the ,andogya !panishad %e find its praises set forth in the follo%ing %ords- . "an, meditate on the %ord one called udgita( /01 it is the best of all 2Page 345 essences 6 the supreme one 6 that %hich holds the place of honour, the eighth.# 7e is then recommended to meditate on this syllable as representing the t%o )inds of breath %hich animates the body# The *ital breath and the ordinary breath of the mouth or lungs for this meditation pro*o)es %isdom and the perfect accomplishment of the sacrifice# 8e read in *erse 39- . $t %ould therefore seem that both he %ho )no%s the real meaning of one and he %ho is ignorant of it perform the same sacrifice# 'ut this is not the case, for )no%ledge and ignorance are t%o different things# The sacrifice is more po%erful if %e ma)e it by the aid of science, faith, and the !panishad#. +ut%ardly, both accomplish the same thing, but he %ho is %ise, ha*ing meditated on the hidden meaning of +m, gi*es to his actions the :ualities inherent in +m, %hich re:uires this psychic force to be able to manifest itself and become acti*e# 8hen a ;e%eller and a peasant sell a precious stone, the )no%ledge of the first must produce a better result than the %ant of it in the latter# Sanbaracharya, in his . Sharir 'hashya,. treats at length of the syllable +m, and de*otes to its consideration a %hole chapter of the Vayu Purana# As Vayu means air, it is easy to understand the mental attitude of those %ho occupy themsel*es %ith this Purana# They analyse the sound, an analysis %hich should disco*er some interesting relations as e<isting bet%een the physical and spiritual constitution of man# Sound possesses tone, and tone in nature possesses supreme importance and profound meaning# $t is by inarticulate cries that man in his incipient state of early childhood e<presses his sentiments, and that animals proclaim their distincti*e characters( the *oice of a tiger differs from that of a tortoise( the tones of the *oices of the animal %orld differ as much from one another as their natures, and possess meanings %hich distinguish different ob;ects( the study of the la%s %hich lie hidden under these different sounds cannot be considered puerile if it leads to the distinguishing of fundamental characteristics descripti*e of the nature of animal life#

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Theosophical Siftings

Aum

Vol 3, No 3

The Padma Purana says- .The %ord +m is the :ueen of prayers( it should, therefore, be pronounced at the beginning of all prayers.( and the la%s of "anu order that .a 'rahmin should al%ays pronounce the syllable +m at the beginning and end of the reading of a lesson in the Vedas# =or if +m does not begin it then the meaning %ill escape him( and if +m does not end it, then nothing %ill be retained for any length of time.# This is %hat the celebrated Ra;a Ramohun Roy says in treating of this sub;ect- .+m, considered as only one letter, and pronounced by one articulation, symbolises the supreme Spirit# +ne letter /one1 is the emblem of the "ost 7igh# /"ann ii#, >3#1 'ut considered as a three&lettered %ord, made up of a u m, it symbolises the three Vedas, the three states of the nature of man, 2Page 3>5 the three di*isions of the uni*erse, the three gods 'rahma, Vishnou, and Si*a, %hich are the agents of creation, conser*ation, and destruction on earth( or, more properly spea)ing, the three attributes of the Supreme 'eing personified by these di*inities# $n this sense it implies that the !ni*erse is under the control of the Supreme 'eing#. 8e may picture to oursel*es the immensity of uni*ersal space as tra*ersed by a simple and homogeneous *ibration of sound %hich acts %ith an a%a)ening and *i*ifying energy, and rouses into motion e*ery molecule of ether# This is represented in e*ery language by the *o%el a, %hich ta)es precedence o*er all the others# This is the %ord, the *erbum, the logos of the ?hristian@s St# Aohn- .$n the beginning %as the 8ord, and the 8ord %as %ith Bod, and the 8ord %as Bod.# /St# Aohn, chap, i#, *#$#1 $t is ?reation, for %ithout this resonance, %ithout this mo*ement amongst the :uiescent molecules, there %ould ha*e been no *isible uni*erse# That is to say, on this sound, or as the Aryans call it, this Nadu 'rahma /di*ine resonance1 depends the e*olution of the *isible from the in*isible# 'ut this sound a, as soon as it is produced, becomes transformed into au, so that the second sound, u, is that %hich the first produces through the continuation of its o%n being# The *o%el u, a compound one itself, represents, therefore, conser*ation# And the idea of conser*ation is entirely contained in that of creation, because nothing %hich had not pre*iously come into e<istence could be preser*ed# $f these t%o sounds, combined in one, could be indefinitely prolonged, %e should do a%ay %ith the nature of destruction# 'ut they can only be continued for the duration of one respiration, and %hether %e press our lips together, the tongue against the roof of the mouth, or ma)e use of those organs %hich lie further bac), there must al%ays be a closing in at its finish li)e the sound of the letter m, %hich, %ith the Aryans, recei*ed the signification of a .stoppage.( and %ith this final letter %e ha*e the destruction of the %hole %ord or letter# 8e can :uic)ly pro*e e<perimentally that it is impossible to utter the letter m %ithout first opening the mouth and thus emitting the t%o *o%els au# 8ithout fear of contradiction, %e may assert that e*ery %ord commences %ith au and ends %ith m# The %ord tone is deri*ed from the Catin and Bree) %ords signifying sound, and possessing also another signification# $n Bree) the %ord tonos means the act of spreading or radiating# 8hile in its general character the %ord tone is used indifferently to characterise high notes, lo% notes, sharp and flat, or soft and hard ones, in music it sho%s the :uality of the sound produced, and is employed in alluding to the difference of pitch bet%een t%o instruments# $n medicine it is used to denote a physical state, such as that of strength, elasticity, or tension# 8e can easily reconcile this physical meaning of the %ord to that di*ine resonance of %hich %e ha*e spo)en, for %e can consider tension to apply to the *ibration or :uantity of *ibration %hich 2Page 3D5 allo%s the ear to percei*e a sound, and if the %hole organism %ere gradually to %ea)en until it became non&e<istent, the result obtained %ould be a dissolution of this collection of molecules# $n painting, tone indicates the general character of a %or)( and the same may be said of morals and Page 0

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customs# 8e say .bon ton.( the nglish use the e<pression .high&toned sentiments., .a general tone of politeness.( so that %e find the meaning of this %ord applicable to both good and e*il, to the supremely great and the infinitely little# The only letter capable of e<pressing all this is the sound a, modified in different %ays, as long, short, or medium# Aust as the tone of manners, morals, of painting, and of music means their true characteristics, in the same %ay tones of different animals, including man, e<press their real character( and all these together, combined in the deep murmur %hich nature thro%s up, s%ells into the Nada 'rahma, the di*ine resonance, that %hich %e call the music of the spheres# "editating on the tone, as e<pressed in the Sanscrit syllable, +m leads us to the )no%ledge of the secret doctrine# $n the human *oice %e find the se*en di*isions of the Ei*ine essence for the microcosm, being a copy of the macrocosm( our halting measures contain collecti*ely that of the %hole, in the se*en notes of the scale# This brings us to the se*en colours, and so on, step by step, from stage to stage, until %e reach the di*ine radiation itself, or Aum# =or this di*ine resonance of %hich %e ha*e spo)en is not actually the same as Ei*ine light in its perfection# Resonance is but the e<pression of the complete sound Aum, %hich continues for, according to %hat the 7indous term, the duration of a day, and night of 'rahma, and %hich they gi*e as 3,999 ages# $t not only acts as the force %hich e<cites and animates the molecules of the uni*erse, but also as an incitement to the e*olution and dissolution of man, and of the animal and mineral )ingdoms and solar systems# $n the planetary system, the Aryans represented this force by "ercury, %hich has al%ays been held to represent the ruler of the intellectual faculties and stimulator of uni*ersal life# Some old authors mention that it is pictured in the s)ies by "ercury and reproduced in humanity in the uni*ersal chatter of %omen# 8here*er the di*ine resonance has been stopped by death or other changes, Aum has been intoned# These e<pressions of Aum are simply the innumerable microscopic utterances of the %ord, %hich is only completely pronounced and finished, according to mystical and hermetic language, %hen the great 'rahm ceases to breathe, and ends his %ord %ith the sound m causing uni*ersal dissolution# This uni*ersal dissolution is )no%n in Sanscrit and in the secret doctrine by the name of "aha Pralaya, or Brand Eissolution# 7a*ing pronounced the sacred syllable, the ancient Rishes of $ndia said, .Nothing either begins or ends( all is change, and that %hich %e call death is transformation.# 2Page 095 These %ords, applied to manifested life, the so&called death of a sensible creature means only the transforming of energy, the changing of manner and place in the manifestation of the Ei*ine Resonance# So that %e see that e*en in these early ages of the history of our race, the doctrine of conser*ation of energy %as )no%n and applied# The Ei*ine Resonance, or the sound au, the uni*ersal energy %hich remains constant in :uality during the continuation of each day of 'rahma, and %hich, %hen the great night falls, is reabsorbed in the All# Appearing and disappearing continually, it transforms itself incessantly, co*ered at inter*als by the *eil of matter, %hich %e call its in*isible manifestation, and %hich is ne*er lost, but is al%ays changing one aspect for another# 8e may no% comprehend both the beauty and the utility sho%n in the construction of Sanscrit %ords# Nada 'rahma is the di*ine resonance( if, after ha*ing pronounced the %ord Nada, %ith the %ord 'rahm, %e should naturally conclude that the final m symbolised the Pralaya, and this %ould contradict our hypothesis that the di*ine resonance is e*erlasting, for if it stops it is lost# =or this reason an a is added to Page 3

Theosophical Siftings

Aum

Vol 3, No 3

the end of the %ord 'rahm in order to indicate that under the title of 'rahma the second %ill continue to e<ist# 'ut space is %anting in %hich to e<amine this :uestion as %e should li)e to# and these fe% allusions ha*e no other aim than to indicate the real and practical meaning of Aum# =or us, +m is a real and li*ing fact# $t represents the continuous courant of that silent meditation %hich man should follo%, e*en %hile occupying himself %ith the duties and necessities of life# There is one constant effort common to all finite beings to%ards a gi*en end, and this %e do not e*en confine to them alone, but include the %hole animal )ingdom( for these inferior beings only a%ait their turn to e*ol*e to a superior condition, and unconsciously, perhaps, but none the less effecti*ely, do they assimilate the same nourishment# .7a*ing grasped the bo%, the mighty %eapon, place upon the string the arro% pointed by de*otion# Then, dra%ing it, aim, ohF my friend, at the mar), directing your thoughts to the $ndestructible# +m is the bo%, the go is the arro%, 'rahma is the mar)# 7e %ho hits shall be free from illusion, and, then, as the arro% becomes one %ith the might of its energy of pro;ection, it %ill become one %ith 'rahmam# Cearn that he alone is the true go and renounce all other %ords# 7e is the bridge %hich leads to immortality# "editate on the I am I as +m# All hail to thee, and mayest thou safely tra*erse the ocean of shado%s#.

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